Suzhou Xuanmiao Temple｜The first wooden structure of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Suzhou Xuanmiao Temple is located in Gusu District, Suzhou City. It is a Taoist temple with a long history. It was built in the second year of Xianning in the Western Jin Dynasty (276 AD). It is the largest existing Taoist temple in the Jiangnan region and an important cultural heritage of Suzhou City. The Sanqing Hall of Suzhou Xuanmiao Temple is located on Guanqian Street in Suzhou. It is the best-preserved and largest official building of the Southern Song Dynasty in my country (the other non-official buildings include Jiangyou Yunyan Temple). The existing main building was built in the sixth year of Chunxi in the Southern Song Dynasty (1179), and was later rebuilt through successive generations. Some of the stone pillars on the secondary steps are from the Qing Dynasty. Fortunately, the Song Dynasty pavement and inner pillars have been preserved. The main hall is in palace style, with dense columns and column capitals. The secondary step beam frame is similar to that of the second gate of Huqiu. The most eye-catching feature is that the capitals of the inner groove columns and the inter-interval work use an upward slanted upper angling on the inner side above the second jump, and the three inter-interval work in a series between the front and rear inner groove columns all have upper angling on both sides, which is the earliest existing example of upper angling used in large carpentry. In addition, there are statues of the Three Pure Ones from the Song Dynasty in the hall, and relief stone railings from the Five Dynasties in front of the hall. Just above the mountain gate is an inscription written by Zhao Mengfu himself: Xuanmiao Temple. The word "wonderful" is very wonderful. You can write this wonderful character yourself and compare the strength, angle and the feeling of the strokes. Do you have this kind of momentum that combines both hardness and softness? There are other calligraphy works by Zhao Mengfu preserved in the temple. This stele is the one inscribed with "Record of the Reconstruction of the Three Gates of Xuanmiao Temple" written by Zhao Mengfu. The original is in the Tokyo National Museum, Japan. I went to the Tokyo National Museum twice in different seasons and never saw this original. It seems that it is rarely exhibited. The main hall of Xuanmiao Temple, Sanqing Hall, has a double-eaved hip roof, is nine bays wide and six bays deep. It is the largest and best-preserved Song Dynasty wooden structure in Jiangnan. Although the oldest surviving building is from the Southern Song Dynasty, the history of Xuanmiao Temple can be traced back to the second year of Xianning in the Western Jin Dynasty (276), and it is actually a thousand-year-old Taoist activity center of Wu culture. The stone pillars supporting the hall are not round, but angular. The name of a Heavenly Venerable is engraved on the flat surface of each pillar. The words used are broad and gorgeous, giving the impression that the name of the Heavenly Venerable is used to increase the magical power of the stone pillars, making the foundation of the Sanqing Hall more solid. Finally, let’s take a look at the inscription on the stele without words. It turns out that there was an inscription written by Fang Xiaoru in the early Ming Dynasty. It is said that the calligraphy is as exquisite as iron wire and silver hook, which is extraordinary. Zhu Di, the King of Later Yan, ascended the throne and ordered Fang to draft an imperial edict. Fang would rather die than obey, so his ten clans were implicated and the inscription he wrote was also erased. I didn't expect that there would be such cultural relics in such a small space in front of the Sanqing Temple. It is a kind of fate that they can continue to be displayed together in the current way from the Western Jin Dynasty to the present day. 📍｜Location: Guanqian Street, Gusu District, Suzhou City 🎫｜Ticket: 10 yuan (pass) 🚗｜Transportation: Take Metro Line 1, Qianleqiao Station/get off at Linton Road 🈺｜Opening hours: 8:30 to 17:00/16:30 ⌛｜Play time: 1 to 2 hours 🏠｜Nearby B&Bs: There are many hotels and B&Bs in Guanqian Street, so it is very convenient to stay here and go out for fun ⛩Xuan Miao Temple Recommended❗❗ ✨The architectural style of the Taoist temple is magnificent. The main building, Sanqing Hall, was rebuilt in the sixth year of Chunxi in the Southern Song Dynasty (1179 AD) and is the core part of Xuanmiao Temple. The hall enshrines three deities: Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun and Taiqing Daode Tianzun. The statues of the deities are 17 meters high and look solemn and dignified. (You can buy a talisman for 10 yuan) 🎈The ticket includes the main gate, Sanqing Hall, God of Wealth Hall, Taisui Hall, Wenchang Hall, Guanyin Hall, and Shouxing Hall. These buildings have different styles and show the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture. 🙏Walking inside, you can hear the lingering Buddhist chants (you must buy incense and candles with a knife), feel the profoundness of Taoist culture, and appreciate the beauty and exquisite craftsmanship of ancient buildings. 🏖 | Tour routes around the area: Guanqian Street (Xuanmiao Temple) ➡ Pingjiang Road ➡ Lion Grove ➡ Humble Administrator's Garden ➡ Suzhou Museum